Owners have filed 281 complaints
about the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas with NHTSA between 2022 and 2026.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 5 of 9 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 42
Against the median year of the Volkswagen Atlas. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 28
5.3% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 85
50% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2022 compares with every other Volkswagen Atlas
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Automatic Emergency Braking
1233.3%
Warnings
616.7%
Adaptive Cruise Control
513.9%
Rearview System Braking
411.1%
Warnings
411.1%
Assist
25.6%
Body
25.6%
Speedometer/Odometer
12.8%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
15.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
735.0%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
525.0%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
525.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
210.0%
NHTSA crash tests
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2022 Volkswagen Atlas SUV AWD
15.9% risk
2022 Volkswagen Atlas SUV FWD
13.6% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2022peak 18Aug 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
On September 28, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23017) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Front Assist automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in model year (MY) 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.The reports alleged that activation of the AEB system occurred while driving with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's forward path, resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration. Volkswagen indicated that it is aware of a total of 292 reports that may relate to the alleged defect in MY 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles.Volkswagen...
Recalls on the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
24V464000
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Atlas and 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
22V807000
SUSPENSION:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Volkswagen Atlas FL and 2022-2023 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The driver-side rear trailing arm bolts may not have been tightened properly, allowing them to loosen and fall out.
Risk: Unsecured bolts may cause the trailing arm to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
22V753000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Audi Q5 Sportback, Q5, 2022-2023 Volkswagen Atlas FL, and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The engine connecting rod bearings may become damaged, which can result in engine failure.
Risk: A damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine failure causes an oil leak, it can increase the risk of a fire.
22V657000
TRAILER HITCHES
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The trailer hitch bolts may have been insufficiently tightened.
Risk: Loose bolts may fall out, causing the remaining bolts to break, which could lead to separation of the trailer hitch and trailer, increasing the risk of a crash.
22V514000
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Atlas FL and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles. The long fuel injectors may have been assembled without filters.
Risk: Long fuel injectors with missing filters may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
22V152000
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Atlas, 2020-2023 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021-2023 Atlas FL vehicles. The door wiring harness electrical contacts may corrode, disrupting the electrical connection and delaying the deployment of the driver or passenger front side air bag during a side impact crash.
Risk: A delayed air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202435435,749 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a passenger is seated. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the PODS sensor mat and seat harness. Volkswagen advises that you shouldn't use the front passenger seat if a PODS error message displays on the instrument panel or if the airbag indicator light displays "passenger airbag off" with an occupant in the seat.
Recall 202261212 units in Canada
Suspension
Issue: On certain vehicles, the bolts for the left-rear trailing arm may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the bolts may loosen over time and fall out. If this happens, the trailing arm may break and cause a sudden loss of vehicle control. Safety Risk: A loss of control could create the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the left-rear trailing arm bolts.
Recall 20225769,697 units in Canada
Engine
Issue: On certain vehicles, the connecting rod bearings may become damaged. If this happens, the engine could make abnormal noises and a warning light may turn on. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail and/or an oil leak could occur. Safety Risk: An engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power, which could increase the risk of a crash. An oil leak could create the risk of a vehicle fire. Corrective actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership for an engine inspection test. The engine will be replaced, if necessary.
Recall 2022489356 units in Canada
Structure
Issue: On certain vehicles, the trailer hitch bolts may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the bolts could loosen, and the hitch could detach from the vehicle while towing a trailer. Safety Risk: A trailer hitch that detaches from a vehicle could create a risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to tighten the trailer hitch bolts.
Recall 202238223,553 units in Canada
Visual System
Issue: Under certain conditions, the rearview camera image may not appear on the center screen. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse gear. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to update the infotainment software.
Recall 2022182157 units in Canada
Fuel System
Issue: On certain vehicles, the long fuel injectors may have been assembled without a filter element. As a result, fuel could leak into the engine compartment. Safety Risk: A fuel leak in the engine compartment can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the long fuel injectors.
Recall 202211023,192 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring contacts for the front doors may become damaged. If this happens, there could be a delay before the side airbags inflate in a side-impact crash. This problem could also cause the parking brake to engage while driving at low speed, cause the windows to roll down on their own, or give warning of a faulty door sensor. Safety Risk: Delayed inflation of the side airbags could create an increased the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Kansas City, MOCrash
SEAT BELTS
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MOCrash
AIR BAGS
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MOCrash
STRUCTURE:BODY
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WAFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.
NHTSA complaint #11714592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WAFire
ENGINE
Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.
NHTSA complaint #11714592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vancouver, WAFire
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Driving my car only a few minutes and it caught fire and blew up. Car was completely engulfed in flames. Son was barely able to get out before engine burst into flames.
NHTSA complaint #11714592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Saint Augustine, FL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle stalled and shut off while in traffic. It has happened previously and dealership says it is an issue with the charcoal canister with an unknown way to fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11758576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Augustine, FL
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle stalled and shut off while in traffic. It has happened previously and dealership says it is an issue with the charcoal canister with an unknown way to fix it.
NHTSA complaint #11758576 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Leander, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Software update for the vehicle. Since we have completed the update we have had issues with the Radio unit flashing in and out intermittenly and finally the unit went black and will not work at all. This is now showing multiple fault codes including. Engine control module 1 (U105400), Brakes 1(C102D00), Adaptive Cruise Control (U112100), Dash Board (U111000), Gateway (U105400), Telematics Communication Unit (B104914, U112100,B1916f4), Light Control Left 2 (U140700,C123AFA) Light Control Right 2 (C123AFA). None of these codes started till the System update happened.
NHTSA complaint #11756322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Leander, TX
SERVICE BRAKES
Software update for the vehicle. Since we have completed the update we have had issues with the Radio unit flashing in and out intermittenly and finally the unit went black and will not work at all. This is now showing multiple fault codes including. Engine control module 1 (U105400), Brakes 1(C102D00), Adaptive Cruise Control (U112100), Dash Board (U111000), Gateway (U105400), Telematics Communication Unit (B104914, U112100,B1916f4), Light Control Left 2 (U140700,C123AFA) Light Control Right 2 (C123AFA). None of these codes started till the System update happened.
NHTSA complaint #11756322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Leander, TX
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Software update for the vehicle. Since we have completed the update we have had issues with the Radio unit flashing in and out intermittenly and finally the unit went black and will not work at all. This is now showing multiple fault codes including. Engine control module 1 (U105400), Brakes 1(C102D00), Adaptive Cruise Control (U112100), Dash Board (U111000), Gateway (U105400), Telematics Communication Unit (B104914, U112100,B1916f4), Light Control Left 2 (U140700,C123AFA) Light Control Right 2 (C123AFA). None of these codes started till the System update happened.
NHTSA complaint #11756322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeport, TX
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
i was exiting HWY 45 at highway speed. the car began to stutter, i lost control of the propulsion of the vehicle, the breaks did not seem to work, the EPC light came on after rolling to a stop. i had to put the car in park and upon turning the car off and back on the cars EPC light went off and i was able to drive it home. it now sits in my driveway and has not been moved since.
NHTSA complaint #11755826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeport, TX
ENGINE
i was exiting HWY 45 at highway speed. the car began to stutter, i lost control of the propulsion of the vehicle, the breaks did not seem to work, the EPC light came on after rolling to a stop. i had to put the car in park and upon turning the car off and back on the cars EPC light went off and i was able to drive it home. it now sits in my driveway and has not been moved since.
NHTSA complaint #11755826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeport, TX
SERVICE BRAKES
i was exiting HWY 45 at highway speed. the car began to stutter, i lost control of the propulsion of the vehicle, the breaks did not seem to work, the EPC light came on after rolling to a stop. i had to put the car in park and upon turning the car off and back on the cars EPC light went off and i was able to drive it home. it now sits in my driveway and has not been moved since.
NHTSA complaint #11755826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Warrensburg, NY
POWER TRAIN
While traveling at highway speeds with my family on our way to a college visit, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of propulsion due to a complete breach of the automatic transmission oil cooler lines (Part numbers: 3QF317801C and 3QF317820C). The breach caused hot, pressurized transmission fluid to violently spray out of the vehicle, covering the highway and completely coating the vehicle traveling directly behind us, creating an immediate multi-car road hazard. The sudden loss of fluid instantly destroyed the transmission internals, disabling the vehicle on a high-speed highway and requiring us to be towed to a Volkswagen dealership. The certified VW dealership technicians inspected the vehicle and explicitly identified the issue as a factory assembly flaw. They confirmed that these two parallel, closed-loop fluid lines were routed from the factory with zero clearance, causing them to rub together under normal engine vibration until friction wore a hole through both walls. This built-in engineering and routing defect poses a severe safety hazard due to sudden, un-alerted power loss in fast-moving traffic and the spraying of highly flammable fluid onto hot engine components and surrounding vehicles.
NHTSA complaint #11755619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Enfield, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas, the infotainment system began malfunctioning. The audio stopped working intermittently, the touchscreen went black and displayed corrupted graphics, and the backup camera repeatedly cuts in and out or fails to display anything. Pressing the backup camera button can cause the infotainment system to shut down completely. I attempted to reset the system through a soft reset by pressing the power/volume button for 20+ seconds and when that didn't work I did a hard reset by disconnecting the battery for 15- 20 mins, but the issue persists. Because the camera is unreliable or unavailable when reversing or for my blind spots, I believe this creates a safety hazard by reducing rear visibility and increasing the risk of a backing collision and side collisions
NHTSA complaint #11752976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nashua, NH
ENGINE
This car has increasingly started stalling out as I come to a stop in traffic at lower speeds. There is no consistent pattern behind when it will occur. At times, I feel my car's engine start to shudder like it's going to stall, but it is not immediately followed by stalling. I have taken it to a dealer last month because it stalled at least three times in a month. They replaced the battery because they couldn't find cause, and this past Sunday, the car stalled as I pulled into a parking spot and shut off. Each time, I have my auto engine off disengaged. It is NOT the engine turning off at a red light and re-engaging when I take my foot off the brake. The car will turn off and not throw any error codes, making it impossible for techs to determine the problem. The dash will tell me to "Please start engine manually" and it has started up each time.
NHTSA complaint #11751841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Tan Valley, AZ
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Daytime running light went out and needs the whole assembly to be replaced which is $1400+ from the dealership. Vehicle is barley 4 years old
NHTSA complaint #11749401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Green Cove Springs, FL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The Daylight Driving Lights have failed 2X. Very expensive fix. Seems to be a common problem.
NHTSA complaint #11749159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cut and Shoot, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The hood release latch/cable is broken. It worked when we took it into the dealer for a blend door actuator repair and oil change. The dealer claims it is a “known issue” for this model vehicle but they can’t repair it at no cost, despite it working just fine when we dropped it off. If this is a known issue (which I’ve seen many complaints about it online) then VW should be repairing or replacing the defective parts, not forcing that expense onto consumers.
NHTSA complaint #11747710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jacksonville, FL
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Hello, I have a 2022 VW Atlas with 54,250 miles. I noticed today when I started up by car that the DRL (daytime running lights) was dimmed to the point where I didn't even notice it on. This seems to be an issue with Volkswagen Atlas's years 2021-2023. It is currently out and anyone can come look at it at anytime. This seems to be a larger issue, many people complaining about this online and the cost to replace / fix the issue is over $1500 with parts and labor. The design makes it so the entire headlight needs to be replaced. Without daytime running lights, I feel like I am not seen as easily so I could be in an accident much easier. I brought the issue to the dealer and they said they see a lot of these failing between 40K - 60K miles. No warning, one day it was working the next it wasn't.
NHTSA complaint #11746755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rosamond, CA
ENGINE
Description of the Issue: I am filing a complaint regarding a premature coolant leak and failure of the engine water pump on my 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for an unrelated safety recall service. During their multi-point inspection, the dealership technicians officially diagnosed a coolant leak coming directly from the water pump. At only 70,000 miles, this component should not be failing. This constitutes a major safety hazard. If left unrepaired, a water pump leak leads to sudden engine overheating, loss of power, and potential catastrophic engine failure while driving, placing the driver and passengers at severe risk on the road. Volkswagen has a well-documented history of premature water pump failures across several models. I request that the NHTSA investigate this known defect in the 2022 model year to hold the manufacturer accountable and prevent future safety incidents.
NHTSA complaint #11746821 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bethlehem, GA
AIR BAGS
I started the car to cool off and stepped out of the car and the curtain airbags deployed on both sides of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11745516 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charleston, SC
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The Daytime Running Lights are integrated into the headlight assembly so when the ights fail they cannot be replaced by the car owner by replacing a bulb. They also fail at very low mileage. Mine have failed before 70k miles. To replace the DRL the entire housing must be replaced and this costs upwards of $2k per headlight or $4k for both. That is almost 10% of the purchase price of the car! For headlights that the owner should be able to buy and replace themselves for $60
NHTSA complaint #11741478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MOCrash
SEAT BELTS
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MOCrash
AIR BAGS
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kansas City, MOCrash
STRUCTURE:BODY
All the airbags in the car deployed from a minor impact; it is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11741017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Southington, CT
AIR BAGS
Ever since I bought this vehicle, it stalls randomly. Apparently this is a major issue with this car and complaints are all over the Internet by owners. I have a child and I am afraid to drive the car. I have bought the car to get fixed and it is still stalling. It appears that thousands of people have the same issue as some sort of canister needs to be replaced but even shortly after it is replaced, my vehicle stalls along with everyone else’s. Also, my info entertainment center has issues and my airbag has an error code right now. From what I am reading, this vehicle is a major hazard and is very dangerous to drive.
NHTSA complaint #11739751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Southington, CT
ENGINE
Ever since I bought this vehicle, it stalls randomly. Apparently this is a major issue with this car and complaints are all over the Internet by owners. I have a child and I am afraid to drive the car. I have bought the car to get fixed and it is still stalling. It appears that thousands of people have the same issue as some sort of canister needs to be replaced but even shortly after it is replaced, my vehicle stalls along with everyone else’s. Also, my info entertainment center has issues and my airbag has an error code right now. From what I am reading, this vehicle is a major hazard and is very dangerous to drive.
NHTSA complaint #11739751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesSaratoga Spring, UT
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the emergency brake engaged without warning. All the warning lights were illuminated. The windows went up and down without application. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Volkswagen South Towne Service and Parts Department: 11000 Frontage Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095, where it was diagnosed that the driver door module had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed there was no warranty coverage and no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
NHTSA complaint #11738050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesSaratoga Spring, UT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the emergency brake engaged without warning. All the warning lights were illuminated. The windows went up and down without application. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V152000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Volkswagen South Towne Service and Parts Department: 11000 Frontage Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095, where it was diagnosed that the driver door module had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed there was no warranty coverage and no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
NHTSA complaint #11738050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
